From June to December 2026, WIPO hosts a series of workshops for patent examiners from the Andean countries on the application of patentability criteria to highly complex pending cases.
Dates: From June 30 to December 1, 2026
Format: Online, by invitation only
Language: Spanish
What to expect
Organized by WIPO’s PCT International Cooperation Division (PCT ICD) in cooperation with patent offices of the Andean countries, including SENADI (Ecuador), SIC (Colombia), and INDECOPI (Peru), this workshop series adopts a practical, case-based approach to the analysis of complex patent applications currently pending a decision in Andean patent offices.
Seven cases are selected from technical fields including chemistry, biotechnology, and computer-implemented inventions. Each case is reviewed by an international or regional expert and discussed in round-table sessions with participating examiners to strengthen the application of patentability criteria and harmonize examination practices across the Andean countries.
Each workshop covers:
- Case presentation. An examiner from the proposing office presents the case, its complexity, and the issues preventing a decision from being reached.
- Expert insights. An international or regional expert presents how the case is handled in their jurisdiction and responds to examiners’ questions.
- Round-table discussion. Moderated exchange among participating examiners from all offices.
- Conclusions. The lead expert summarizes key takeaways and circulates a summary to participants.
To find out more about the workshop series:
Schedule:
- Workshop 1: Tuesday June 30, 2026 - Computer-implemented inventions. A case from Colombia.
- Workshop 2: Wednesday July 22, 2026 - Computer-implemented inventions. A case from Peru.
- Workshop 3: Tuesday August 25, 2026 - Chemical and pharmaceutical inventions. A case from Ecuador.
- Workshop 4: Tuesday September 29, 2026 - Biotechnology inventions. A case from Peru.
- Workshop 5: Tuesday October 27, 2026 - Biotechnology inventions. A case from Peru.
- Workshop 6: Tuesday November 17, 2026 - Chemical and pharmaceutical inventions. A case from Colombia.
- Workshop 7: Tuesday December 1, 2026 - Chemical and pharmaceutical inventions. A case from Ecuador.
Good to know
This workshop series is addressed to patent examiners from Andean countries only. It is by invitation only and will be conducted in Spanish.
If you are a patent examiner in one of the Andean countries, please reach out to your patent office for more information.
Questions or comments?
Contact us for more information.